Q: Mike-where do I get a replacement guard (the plastic tube that protects from the blade, front side. Hopefully there is a metal version that won't fall to pieces after the first few "tough" uses.by Scott from Kentucky on September 25, 2011

A: You have to get a replacement through the manufaturer. Here is there technical support line. 1800-345-6007by Dale, Product Expert

Q: I really like the Model 9060300 Earthquake (3") 206cc Chipper / Shredder With Briggs & Stratton Intek Engine, but so many reviews on chippers complain about the nuts loosen from the vibrations...same with this one? I also weigh, only 126 lbs, will I be able to push/pull it around my property without having to hire a mule? Is the 14 gal gas can with siphon a necessity for out in the woods?by Fred Bloesch from New York on March 20, 2011

A: Thanks for your inquiry. We have not had any issues with the nuts loosening from vibrations on this model. This chipper is very lightweight and easy to maneuver. I would think you would hvae no issue moving the unit. The 14 gallon gas can with siphon would be a nice idea if you far in the woods.by Dale, Product Expert

I have used the Shredder for about 10 hours now and are very pleased with the results. Hedge cuttings, ornamental grasses, branches, Cycads (Kingpalm), dead plants, leaves, fan palms and banana leaves got chewed up to mulch or soil improvements. Just remember to mix dry and wet material and tear broad leaves as the fan palm in two before you put them in the shredder.

The only thing I dislike is the unfinished way the bag that receives finished chopped mass is attached to the shredder. A clever developer would definitely find a better solution. Current solution seems designed in a hurry.

The noise is impressive so remember ear defenders and protective goggles!

I have used the Shredder for about 10 hours now and are very pleased with the results. Hedge cuttings, ornamental grasses, branches, Cycads (Kingpalm), dead plants, leaves, fan palms and banana leaves got chewed up to mulch or soil improvements. Just remember to mix dry and wet material and tear broad leaves as the fan palm in two before you put them in the shredder.

The only thing I dislike is the unfinished way the bag that receives finished chopped mass is attached to the shredder. A... more

Hanne Recommends This Earthquake Product

Brand Rep

Hanne,

Thank you for your review! We have come up with a newer model Chipper Shredder with a different style bag attachment and some other upgrades. We look forward to it hitting the market!

This is what I posted when I first assembled and used the machine back in 2013. Further and current comments follow.

"I've used it for several hours now and I'm reasonably happy with some reservations and advice.

On the good side:
Delivery was excellent with the truck delivery being smooth as silk.Great motor on the machine! As many have said, started on first pull and runs very well. It is easy to overpower though but I think that might be the nature of a low powered residential chipper/shredder so take your time with it. Small twigs and branches feed better bushy end first for some reason while heavier ones feed better main stem first. Big limbs and branches need to go in the side chute or they will jam the machine. Once you get used to it, trimmings will turn into small mulch piles quickly. The reduction ratio is amazing and probably as claimed.

On the bad side:
The red plastic chute was re-drilled pretty ugly but did line up with the holes at assembly. Much of the assembly had already been done, which made confusing instructions more confusing. Extra assembly parts were left over also which makes you recheck everything you did. But they came in handy later when I needed a bolt I had lost while cleaning out a jam. AND, my big complaint is that the plastic chute has broken at the chute discharge just as others have complained about. I will repair with metal reinforcement but feel badly for others who don't have that option. The machine beats the crap out of that plastic there and needs a redesign to strengthen it."

NOW

This is the only chipper shredder I have owned so perhaps they all shake themselves apart over time. I estimate perhaps 25 hrs on it over the 3.5 years I have had it. In that time, I had to move the handle because it was really awkward to move it. No big deal. Also you need to learn techniques for feeding material in. It doesn't like some materials and loves others as I stated before. Also what I and I suspect others thought was a broken plastic piece is really just where the plastic and metal don't align at the bottom of the shut. Turns out the plastic is the toughest part of the machine! OK here is the bad stuff. The front stand snapped off and I had to reweld it with reinforcement.

Years before, I welded a loop at the bottom of the stand to drive a piece of rebar through into the ground to hold the machine in place. It wanders off otherwise or does circles. The flapper broke off on the discharge and the bag had to be resewn, the muffler broke off, the screws for the gas tank came out and there's noway to to get half of them back in without complete removal of the engine from the flywheel.

Many bolts and screws back out and when I can, I use locktite when retightening them. At the moment, it does not have a spark now and the motor cover has snapped off all the ears where the bolts hold it on. This also holds the rope start mechanism so you can't start it anyway. I did get 3.5 years out it but if I used it daily that would be a week or so. I am trashing it now and trying to find a replacement that won't cost an arm and a leg. This machine has tested my repair skills long enough.

This is what I posted when I first assembled and used the machine back in 2013. Further and current comments follow.

"I've used it for several hours now and I'm reasonably happy with some reservations and advice.

On the good side:
Delivery was excellent with the truck delivery being smooth as silk.Great motor on the machine! As many have said, started on first pull and runs very well. It is easy to overpower though but I think that might be the nature of a low powered residential... more

Pros:Easy To Store, Light Weight, good at first

Cons:Difficult To Use, Bad Instructions, Low Quality, frustrating

Herb Does Not Recommend This Product

Herb's Experience With Chippers Direct

Web Site

5/5

Service

4/5

Shipping

4/5

"You guys didn't build the machine I bought, and as far as I can tell give good service to your customer. I will buy from you again."

I live in Panama, a tropical paradise, except for shedding mango and cashew trees, add to that large teak leaves and palm fronds and you know why I bought this tool. It just arrived out of customs and will begin to use it this weekend, Will write a usage and performance review later,

I have a large composting bin of 12' x 12' x 3' and want to directly unload the chipped and shredded branches & leaves into it.. Will need to fab up something to control the exiting materials. I rated the product all 4 stars and will change them if needed in my next posting, Now on to the massive pile with an Earthquake!

I live in Panama, a tropical paradise, except for shedding mango and cashew trees, add to that large teak leaves and palm fronds and you know why I bought this tool. It just arrived out of customs and will begin to use it this weekend, Will write a usage and performance review later,

I have a large composting bin of 12' x 12' x 3' and want to directly unload the chipped and shredded branches & leaves into it.. Will need to fab up something to control the exiting materials. I rated... more

James Recommends This Earthquake Product

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28

George Z.Okatie, SC

Purchased 10/12/16

REVIEWED

DEC.

30

2016

A Good Machine: Sturdy And Compact.

This is a good machine. It is durable and compact making it easy to store. We have a five acre lot hit hard by hurricane Matthew. To date we have processed about 50 bag fulls of mulch from fallen branches. Beginning to think it may be time to sharpen the cutting blades which looks fairly easy.

Only problem with this machine is that the design does not provide the best method of attaching the bag and the little plastic clip that holds the bag on. The exhaust broke trying to tighten it. Design for attaching the bag needs some work. We now hold the bag on by wrapping a bungee cord around the exhaust to hold on the bag. Overall this is a flaw we can live with on an otherwise good machine.

This is a good machine. It is durable and compact making it easy to store. We have a five acre lot hit hard by hurricane Matthew. To date we have processed about 50 bag fulls of mulch from fallen branches. Beginning to think it may be time to sharpen the cutting blades which looks fairly easy.

Only problem with this machine is that the design does not provide the best method of attaching the bag and the little plastic clip that holds the bag on. The exhaust broke trying to tighten it. ... more

Pros:Easy To Use, Easy To Store, High Quality, Durable

Cons:Bag connection

George Recommends This Earthquake Product

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00

Gardenwoman

2 Reviews

69 Helpful Votes

REVIEWED

APR.

20

2014

This Thing Is Chipping Monster!

If it fits in the chute, this thing will chip it!

Easy to start

Easy to maneuver

Very easy to use

We bought this machine last fall and used it to do some yard clean up. Nothing too heavy, just turning piles of leaves into mulch that we in turn composted. The winter here was pretty harsh, with lots of branches falling off, or breaking. We also had a couple of Spruce trees that needed to come down because they were overcrowding the other trees. There were also several Choke Cherry trees that needed to be removed for the same reason. As the yard got cleaner, the brush pile grew larger.

If you happen to check the video you will see that this is one serious machine. I was able to chip three inch material with no problem.

Starting: It was very easy to start, and generally speaking it has been a one pull starter for me. Set the throttle to full, set the choke to full, and give the rope a pull. NOW, the starter has a very different feel than a lawnmower or other small engine. The cutter wheel in the chipper turns when you pull the rope, and thus it is a much more slow pull. In the video you can see what it looks like, and you hear the engine come to life in a much slower fashion... sort of a John Deere POP POP at first.

If it fits in the chute, this thing will chip it!

Easy to start

Easy to maneuver

Very easy to use

We bought this machine last fall and used it to do some yard clean up. Nothing too heavy, just turning piles of leaves into mulch that we in turn composted. The winter here was pretty harsh, with lots of branches falling off, or breaking. We also had a couple of Spruce trees that needed to come down because they were overcrowding the other trees. There were also several Choke Cherry... more

Pros:Price, Exceeded Expectations, High Quality

Gardenwoman Recommends This Earthquake Product

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6919

Geoff

Purchased 4/26/13

4 Reviews

63 Helpful Votes

REVIEWED

MAY.

20

2013

Super Mulcher - Redux

Just a follow-up on my previous review. I've made a few simple mods that really improve the usability of the chipper on my property.

1. added a Briggs & Stratton oil fill tube (8 bucks) - still need a flex funnel to fill but no longer have fill tube occluding drain port...makes fill measurement easier
2. bolted down the tow bar so that towing is more secure and chipper follows tractor better
3. replaced skinny tires with wide no-flats so that the chipper doesn't sink into soft soil when towed.

Now I'm REALLY happy with this chipper!

Just a follow-up on my previous review. I've made a few simple mods that really improve the usability of the chipper on my property.

1. added a Briggs & Stratton oil fill tube (8 bucks) - still need a flex funnel to fill but no longer have fill tube occluding drain port...makes fill measurement easier
2. bolted down the tow bar so that towing is more secure and chipper follows tractor better
3. replaced skinny tires with wide no-flats so that the chipper doesn't sink into soft soil... more

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481

Dale R.Damascus, OR

Purchased 7/19/12

2 Reviews

36 Helpful Votes

REVIEWED

OCT.

03

2014

Great Until You Need Parts

It has been two years since I ordered this shredder and left a good review. I was happy until I needed replacement hammers.

You may be surprised when this site refers you to another supplier for the parts that are marked up so expensive you may be making your own parts like I am doing. I am hoping this site reconsiders supporting parts at a reasonable price.

Pros:Good Shredder For Small Jobs

Cons:Parts From Another Source Too Expensive

Dale Does Not Recommend This Product

Product Expert

Dale,

We're sorry to have let you down, but unfortunately we don't have the capability of specializing in parts at this time. You're welcome to shop around for other prices, but please do NOT craft your own parts for your chipper. Doing so could cause serious injury to you or others and could cause further damage to your chipper.

We are sorry that you are having trouble locating parts for your Earthquake chipper. You can always get the parts you need directly from us by calling our customer service department at 1-800-345-6007, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM central time, Monday to Friday.

The J hammers and the triangle hammers are readily available and reasonably priced.

After reading all of the great comments I had high expectations. The chipper does not seem very sturdy to me and I'm not sure it will last long.

The biggest issue I have is that it really wouldn't chip. We cleared out some trees and were trying to chip them up. From the beginning when we would put it a branch iot would either sit there or gt sucked in and wrap around the chipper causing it to stall and we would have to manually reach in and try to dislodge and unwrap the branch. I'm now waiting for the pile of branches to dry before I try again which is not supposed to happen.

After reading all of the great comments I had high expectations. The chipper does not seem very sturdy to me and I'm not sure it will last long.

The biggest issue I have is that it really wouldn't chip. We cleared out some trees and were trying to chip them up. From the beginning when we would put it a branch iot would either sit there or gt sucked in and wrap around the chipper causing it to stall and we would have to manually reach in and try to dislodge and unwrap the branch. I'm now... more

Pros:Easy To Use, Easy To Store, Price, Light Weight

Cons:Low Quality, Durability

Jay Does Not Recommend This Product

Product Expert

Jay,

Never Reach Inside the Machine To Manually Dislodge A Branch. I would suggest reviewing the owner's manual to make sure you're operating this chipper correctly. Here's a few tips directly from the manual:

The chipper is designed to handle tree limbs and branches up to approximately 3” (7,6 cm) in diameter.

Maintain control of the materials you are feeding to prevent them from whipping around.

I've used it for several hours now and I'm reasonably happy with some reservations and advice.

On the good side:
Delivery was excellent with the truck delivery being smooth as silk.Great motor on the machine! As many have said, started on first pull and runs very well. It is easy to overpower though but I think that might be the nature of a low powered residential chipper/shredder so take your time with it. Small twigs and branches feed better bushy end first for some reason while heavier ones feed better main stem first. Big limbs and branches need to go in the side chute or they will jam the machine. Once you get used to it, trimmings will turn into small mulch piles quickly. The reduction ratio is amazing and probably as claimed.
.
On the bad side:
The red plastic chute was re-drilled pretty ugly but did line up with the holes at assembly. Much of the assembly had already been done, which made confusing instructions more confusing. Extra assembly parts were left over also which makes you recheck everything you did. But they came in handy later when I needed a bolt I had lost while cleaning out a jam. AND, my big complaint is that the plastic chute has broken at the chute discharge just as others have complained about. I will repair with metal reinforcement but feel badly for others who don't have that option. The machine beats the crap out of that plastic there and needs a redesign to strengthen it.

I've used it for several hours now and I'm reasonably happy with some reservations and advice.

On the good side:
Delivery was excellent with the truck delivery being smooth as silk.Great motor on the machine! As many have said, started on first pull and runs very well. It is easy to overpower though but I think that might be the nature of a low powered residential chipper/shredder so take your time with it. Small twigs and branches feed better bushy end first for some reason while... more

Was this review helpful?

252

Bill

Purchased 10/26/13

20 Helpful Votes

REVIEWED

JUN.

03

2014

Beast

Bought this machine for moderate yard debris and tree branch chipping. It's a beast and devoured several cubic yards of Apple tree limbs giving me a lot of ground cover.

Two disappointments: the bag has a flimsy clasp and broke. The cinch is plastic and broke after about 50 uses. The machine is pretty powerful when discharging so the bag has a tendency to come off if not cinched down tightly. The company should fix this.
Also, I live in the Pacific Northwest. This machine does not shred damp leaves at all. Well, more precisely, it creates instant dirt and mud which clogs up the works quickly.

Bought this machine for moderate yard debris and tree branch chipping. It's a beast and devoured several cubic yards of Apple tree limbs giving me a lot of ground cover.

Two disappointments: the bag has a flimsy clasp and broke. The cinch is plastic and broke after about 50 uses. The machine is pretty powerful when discharging so the bag has a tendency to come off if not cinched down tightly. The company should fix this.
Also, I live in the Pacific Northwest. This machine does not... more